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A
monthly summary of issues, activities and events
at the Great
Lakes Commission |
February 22, 2007 | |
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- The annual Great Lakes Day
in Washington policy forum, co-sponsored by the Great Lakes
Commission and the Northeast-Midwest Institute, will be held March
6-7 in Washington, D.C. the Commission will present its
recommendations for congressional action in 2007 for the Great
Lakes, along with a unified statement of near-term regional
priorities, consistent with those of the Great Lakes governors and
the recommendations of the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration from
an alliance of Great Lakes organizations that includes the Great
Lakes Commission. There will also be a congressional hearing on
invasive species and a breakfast reception featuring remarks by
members of Congress, state representatives, mayors and tribes. The
afternoon will be devoted to congressional office visits by groups
of Commission representatives and partners to discuss Great Lakes
priorities. Contact: Jon MacDonagh-Dumler, jonmacd@glc.org
- The 2006 Great Lakes
Commission Annual Report is now available . This 20-page
publication includes an overview of Commission projects and key
regional initiatives; and messages from Michigan Lt. Gov. John
Cherry Jr., chair of the Great Lakes Commission, and Tim Eder,
executive director. Contact: Kirk Haverkamp, kirkh@glc.org
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- More states introduce ballast
legislation
Frustrated with a lack of federal action to
regulate ballast water from oceangoing ships, Great Lakes states
are debating whether to establish their own measures to protect
the lakes against aquatic invasive species. On Jan. 1, Michigan
put its own ballast water regulations into effect, the first Great
Lakes state to do so. Similar legislation has been introduced this
year in the state legislatures of Minnesota, New York and
Wisconsin; ballast water rules modeled on the Michigan legislation
were previously introduced in Indiana in 2005 and Illinois and
Wisconsin in 2006 but not enacted.
- Sen. Voinovich elected co-chair of Great Lakes Task
Force
The Senate Great Lakes Task Force has a new
co-chair, Sen. George Voinovich (R-Ohio), joining Sen. Carl Levin
(D-Mich.) as head of the caucus. A former Ohio governor and a U.S.
senator since 1999, Voinovich has been a Great Lakes advocate
throughout his career in public life. He serves on the Senate
Environment & Public Works Committee, among others. He fills
the co-chair vacancy left by the departure of former Ohio Sen.
Mike DeWine. On the House side, caucus members voted to retain all
four co-chairs, re-electing Reps. John Dingell (D-Mich), Vernon
Ehlers (R-Mich), Mark Kirk (R-Ill.), and Louise Slaughter
(R-N.Y.). Contact: Joy Mulinex, joy_mulinex@levin.senate.gov,
Senate Great Lakes Task Force, 202-224-1211. |
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![]() More events |
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Inland Sensitivity Atlas
for Oil Spill Preparedness and Response
The Great Lakes
Commission and U.S. EPA Region 5 have been collaborating since 1992
on the Inland Sensitivity Atlas (ISA) project. The atlas fulfills
requirements of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, which mandates the
collection of data to assist in planning for and responding to oil
spills affecting surface waters. The ISA gives oil spill responders
and planners an easily navigable and detailed overview of the area
surrounding a potential spill, including potential spill sources and
vulnerable or "sensitive" features such as wetlands, water intakes,
wildlife habitats and others. The Great Lakes portion of the atlas
was completed in the winter of 2005; current work focuses on
maintaining and updating the atlas on a state-by-state basis.
Contact: Stuart Eddy, seddy@glc.org. |
Great Lakes Commission
Eisenhower Corporate Park
2805
S. Industrial Hwy, Suite 100
Ann Arbor, MI
48104-6791
734-971-9135
www.glc.org
A News Briefs archive
can be found at www.glc.org/email/archive | |
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